Mebcebization



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL MANSFIELD JONES, OF NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

MERCERIZATION.

1,316,958, Specification of Letters Patent. m5 Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MANSFIELD Jones, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of North Adams, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in -Mercerization, of which :the following is a ments from deleterious attack by the caustic alkali employed for mercerization.

Viscose is a well-known plastic material obtained by special chemical treatment of cellulosic fibers. It is highly valuable for the production of artificial silk not only because of the luster of its filaments but also because it is not readily inflammable.

The process of mercerizing yarn and woven fabrics composed of cotton or of other natural cellulosic fibers by subjecting theseto the action of a solution of caustic alkali with accompanying tension 'to preserve or enhance the luster of the goods thus operated upon is entirely familiar and need not here be described.

Woven fabrics in which viscose silk threads have been interwoven with cotton yarns mercerized before such weaving are attractive textile products; but they are relatively expensive by reason of the additional manipulation of the cotton yarns required for their mercerization; and it is not feasible to produce such goods by interweaving unmercerized cotton yarns with viscose threads and by afterward subjecting the woven fabric thus constituted to any mer' cerizing process or treatment heretofore practised or known; because the caustic alkali solution customarily used for the mer- (-erization of cotton or linen would seriously damage the associated viscose filaments and would spoil the attractiveness intended to be imparted by them to the composite fabric.

I have discovered, however, that the caustic alkali may be prevented from injuring the viscose filaments while still retaining its efficiency for mercerizing the fibers of cotton yarn intermixed with those viscose filaments, by introducing into the solution of caustic alkali certain other chemical compounds among which are such of the pri- Application filed July 24, 1919. Serial No: 312,961.

mary or monohydric alcohols as will remain intimately diffused throughout the mercerizing solution of caustic alkali after being incorporated therewith, and will not tend to separate out therefrom on standing at the low temperatures desirable for mercerization. The most available of these are ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol, either or both of which may be mixed with the mercerizing solution of caustic alkali in suitable quantity to accomplish the novel and beneficial object of this invention, without indication of defective incorporation with the resulting liquid by developing such turbidity therein as to obscure its normal clearness.

It is to be remarked in this connection that although some of the monohydric alcohols which have a more complex molecular constitution than ethyl alcohol, may when substituted therefor be capable of fulfilling the requirements of this invention, yet such of them as do so can have no advantage in respect thereto over methyl or ethyl alcohol; and that as the various monohydric alcohols take on higher molecular compositions they increase in relative density and become ill adapted, if not wholly incapacitated for thorough and stable incorporation with an aqueous solution of caustic alkali under the prescribed conditions.

For the purpose specified, ethyl alcohol is to be preferred; and I find that its condition in the state commercially known as denaturedalcohol. which is relatively cheaper in the market than when not so adulterated, does not materially interfere with its effectiveness for modifying the behavior of caustic alkali toward viscose in such manner as to secure the integrity of the latter. My invention may be satisfactorily practised with a mercerizing liquid composed by the addition of such denatured alcohol in the proportion of 57 grams to 943 grams of an aqueous solution of sodiumhydrate at 60 Twaddell. This proportion is not rigid; but if the ratio of the quantity of alcohol to that of the caustic alkali in solution at the hydrometric density stated is much less than the ratio just indicated the viscose silk will not be adequately protected; and if such ratio is much greater the mercerizing efficiency of the caustic alkali thus modified will tend to become impaired.

Otherwise than such required modification of the mercerizing solution the treatment of the fabric into which both cotton and, viscose have been interwoven is substantially the same as that customarily employed' in the mercerization of woven fabrics composed entirely of cotton, including-the usual means and mode of applying tension thereto for the prevention of shrinkage; but I find it desirable immediately after these mixed goods have been subjected-t0 the mercerizing process with accompanying tension, to pass them through a weak acid bath before final washing.

The substitution for the ordinary caustic alkali solution of one which has been modified by the addition thereto'of monohydric alcohol which will remain thoroughly diffused in the resulting liquid, efi'ectively protects the viscose filaments against deleterious action of the caustic alkali thereon during the process of mercerizing the cotton pore tions of the mixed fabric, and enables the resulting product of mercerized cotton interwoven with viscose silk to be obtained cheaply and expeditiously without the expense and extra labor attending the mercerization of the cotton yarn before weaving.

Manifestly, also, this invention although especially Well adapted for the production ofwoven mixed goods of the kind hereinabove specified may likewise be practised upon yarns or other unwoven textile fabrics which are composed partly of merceriz'able cellulo'sic fibers such as cotton or linen, and partly of viscose-silk filaments, and which are subjected to any well-known and acceptable process of mercerization suitable for imparting luster to the cellulosic components of a fabric thus constituted, except only that instead of employing therein the old mercerlzmg chemical agent alone there is to be substituted therefor a solution of caustic alkali modified by the addition of such mono wherein the solutlon of caustic alkali is "modified by the addition thereto of monohydric alcohol capable of thorough and stable incorporation therewith.

2. The method of treating textile fabrics composed of yarn spun from mercerizable cellulosic fibers and" interwoven with artificial silk filaments of viscose for the purpose of mercerizing the fibers of such yarn without injury t6the viscose silk, by subj ecting the woven fabric thus constituted to a process of mercerization wherein the solution of caustic alkali is modified by the addition thereto of monohydric alcohol capable of thorough and stable incorporation therewith.

3. The method of treating textile fabrics composed of cotton fibers intermixed with artificial silk filaments of viscose, for the purpose of mercerizing such cotton fibers without injury to the viscose silk, by subjecting the composite fabric thus constituted, to

a process of mercerization wherein the solution of caustic alkali is modified by the addition thereto of monohydric alcohol ca ableof thorough and stable incorporation t ere- With. i

4:. The method ofgtreating textile fabrics composed of cotton yarn interwoven with artificial silk filaments of viscose for the purpose of mercerizing the fibers of such cotton yarn without injury to the viscose silk, by subjecting the woven fabric thus constituted to a process of mercerization wherein the solution of caustic alkali is modified bythe addition thereto of monohydric alcohol capable of thorough and stable incorporation therewith. I

5. The method of treating textile fabrics composed of cotton fibers intermixed with artificial silk filaments of viscose for the purpose of mercerizing such cotton fibers without injury to the viscose silk,by subjecting the composite fabric thus constituted to a process of mercerization wherein the solution of caustic alkali is .modified by the addltion thereto of ethyl alcohol.

6. The method of treating textile fabrics com osed of cotton yarn interwoven with arti cial silk filaments of viscose for the purpose of mercerizingthe fibers of such cotton yarn without injury to the viscose silk, by subjecting the .Woven fabric thus constituted to a process of'mercerization wherein the solution of caustic alkali is modified'by the addition thereto of ethyl alcohol.

SAMUEL MANSFIELD JoNEs 

